This online version of Bob Dalsemer’s book describes dance figures as done in five rural West Virginia communities in the 1970s and reports on their regular dance events, including programming, type of audience, price and method of admission, and the traditions of figure calling and musical performance.
English Dance & Song’s Contra and Longways Dances
An archive of the contra and longways dances published in English Dance and Song (EFFDS’s magazine)
From John Sweeney
The Old-Time Kentucky Running Set
This article by Stu Jamieson covers variations on the Southern Appalachian big circle/set formation, including descriptions of the dances, calls, and more.
This is an extensive collection of contra dances (approx 12,000) writen by dozens of callers. It includes the full written dances in addition to information such as the author, formation, and progression. There are even links to videos of many of the dances! The collection covers many (but not all) dances found on other sites.
From Chris Page and Michael Dyck
Michael Dyck’s Contra Dance Index
An extensive index of contra dances with the goal of capturing all contras written since 1953. While it doesn’t include the full written dances, it includes information such as the author, formation, and where to find the dance.
From Michael Dyck
This is a free software for organizing your collection of dances. It comes with Colin’s collection of over 2000 dances, including English country dance (Playford and traditional style), American squares and contras, Scottish dances, and more.
From Colin Hume
In this blog post, Jeff explores the challenges of phrasing when calling for techno contras.
From Jeff Kaufman
Leading a Contra Dance Role-swapping Workshop
This article by Erik Erhardt and Tina Fields describes one approach to running a workshop where dancers develop familiarity and skill in dancing both dance roles.
From the CDSS News
English Country Dancing During the Pandemic
This site includes an archive of one-person dances for online dancing.
From the Carolina English Country Dancers
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their generous support.